City Limits
by Reigen Doki
Summary: Everyone's at their breaking point in Haven city,and are sent separate ways to cool off.Full summary inside.Rated to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

Hi. I don't own any version of Jak an Daxter. Be glad of that. Implied character death(not main). Enjoy. Summary:

_Daxter is blaming Jak, so Ashelin sends him on a special_ _mission, with Torn. They're to look for survivors in a far off town. Meanwhile Jak is fighting off Metal Heads in his frustration._ _Torn and Daxter are at each other's throats_ _because of Dax's bad mood. But what will happen when Daxter sees something that_ _reminds him of the good old days? How will it change him? And how will he and the other's cope?_

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A tall red haired woman was standing with her hands firmly on her hips, glaring down the taller brunette. He knew he'd lost. "Fine Ashelin, but you had better be right." She opened her mouth to say she was, but was interrupted as the sound of fighting reached their ears. Both of their eyes widened as they recognized the growing voices. Torn took off in the direction of the argument, followed closely be Ashelin.

They rounded a corner in the hallway at the same time, spotting the cause of the commotion instantly. "Back off you bastard." A tall green haired boy clenched and unclenched his fists. "Your a traitor! I hope a Metal Head eats you!" The small orange ottsel stared in shock at the boy who had obviously lost his temper. Tears filled the small creatures eyes as he turned away.

The two who had just started watching looked at each other. Jak realized what he said and reached out for his friend. "Dax...I didn't mean that!" Daxter turned farther from him, wrapping his arms around his chest, suddenly feeling cold. Torn raised a hand to his mouth, coughing lightly. When they looked at him, the both caught glimpses of an apologetic look, which was quickly hidden behind his cold eyes. "I have a mission for you" ,Ashelin took a diplomatic angle for this. "I don't think now is the time."

Ashelin shook her head. "Not both of you. Just Daxter." The two stared openly at her. "I'll be escorting you this time" ,Torn found himself wondering just how much better he and the ottsel would get along. The shock hit Jak far worse than anything else had ever done before. _So this is it._ They were separating. After everything, they were slowly going their separate ways. Nothing was going to be the same. "What will be **my** assignment?" The relief in Jak's voice was almost tangible, though only he knew it was fake. The redhead held in a groan as Daxter defiantly hopped on Torn's shoulder. "I'll brief you in a bit. Torn, You will tell Daxter the mission on the way, you are to leave immediately." The older man nodded, walking off with no regards to the creature on his shoulder.

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"Hey, slow down! You haven't even told me what we are doing!" A sick looking ottsel was clinging to the shoulder of the captain of the guard. The man stopped abruptly, almost knocking Dax off of his shoulder. After making sure they were sufficiently out of the city limits, he set the boy down on the ground, sitting next to him. "Vin thinks he found another city, we're checking it out." The ottsel frowned, that made no sense. "Then why have me go?" Torn's eye twitched before he started to answer. "I might need your help, and Jak is needed there to defend the city from Metal Heads." The ottsel glared at the man. "I hope he dies."

The man grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and forced him to look him in the eyes. "I know your upset about Tess, we all are, but stop taking it out on him. He tried his best. You don't know the whole story. He-" "I don't care!" Daxter interrupted him before he could explain. "You'll want to know. You will." Dax shook his head, and Torn knew not to push it at that current moment.

With a sigh the young boy turned to Torn, "So, tattoos, how far away is it?" The man sneered at the little ottsel. "About a week if we take a Desert Screamer from Sig." Daxter's mouth dropped. The Desert Screamer was the fastest car in Spargus, and it would take them a week with it. Torn started to walk off, heading into the desert to go to Spargus city. Daxter quickly ran after him, jumping up on the man's shoulder. "You're taller than I thought." Torn's only response was a quiet grunt.

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Jack stood in the middle of the room, watching Ashelin pace. She was about to have him assist Vin in finding out more about the city, when there was a report of an attack. Quickly she stopped, turning to him. "You'll have to go. There is no other way. I had hoped my men could handle this on their own, but as long as Torn is gone, I'm putting you in charge of the Freedom League." Jak nodded. "I'll take the zoomer out back." With that he went running out side to aid the men in the fight. Ashelin watched him go, wondering just how much this thing with Daxter was affecting him.

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Sig smiled down at Torn and Dax, keeping to himself all the questions about where Jak was. "Sure you can have it, if you can drive that is." Torn snorted, heading, with a wave, for the garage where he would be getting the car. Sig shook his head, turning to the hidden monk. "Somethings going on. Send one of your monks to Haven City." The quiet figure started to leave. "Oh, and Seem? Make sure they only speak to Ashelin." She nodded and left to give the mission to one under her command. The man looked out his window, watching a figure with an ottsel on his shoulder heading out of the city.

"I thought you said you could drive!" Torn peeled the fuzzy creature from the side of his face, his mouth set in a grimace as the car swerved back and fort, narrowly missing the rocks. "Maybe if you'd stop backseat driving..." The ottsel clung desperately to the older man's arm, his eyes like saucers. "I'd rather take my chances with the Metal Heads!" "Keep your pants on girl" ,Torn growled at Daxter. "Why I otta-Eeeek!" The car sharply spun as the tires hit hard dirt, officially leaving the desert. Torn forcefully hit the breaks, stopping the car. The brunette looked at the boy with a small smirk. "Girl" ,was all he needed to say before Dax flung himself at the man.

The man pushed him off gently almost proud that he could get under his skin with one word. His smug look caused Daxter to stop quickly. "Well, I'll go easy on you for now. Just so long as you be more careful in driving." Torn nodded and sat back up, driving slower, but still quick enough to get then where they needed to be. He wasn't deceived by the smile on Dax's face or the random comments about hot women, but he listened to the ottsel in silence.

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Jak surveyed the damage in the lower part of the city. He had arrived in time to keep the losses at a minimum. The city however, was badly destroyed again. It was also only a matter of time before the next attack. That's why they needed to know more about the city. "It's all clear here. I'm heading down to talk to Onin about this." Ashelin nodded as she heard this. "You do that, I'll send more guards down there and put some people on repairing it. Don't forget to stop by and talk to Vin." Jak climbed on his zoomer, speeding away towards the bazaar and Onin.

Ashelin turned around swiftly, her gun drawn. Slowly she lowered her weapon as a painted man stepped out of the shadows. "What do you want?" The monk frowned for a moment, checking they were alone in the room, then looked directly at her. "You're warriors are divided." She raised a cautious eyebrow before nodding. "Sig has questions about this no doubt. I already have a letter prepared for him. Rest for a moment, then deliver this to him." She handed the sealed envelope to the monk and dismissed him, wondering how things were going with those two.

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It should get better. Review if you want. I don't have a consistent update schedule, so be patient with me.


	2. Chapter 2

-1I'm back. And I still don't own Jak and Daxter. Enjoy.

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"You're lost!" Torn pushed his dark dreadlocks out of his eyes as he snorted in response. His furry orange travel companion had been saying that for the last hour, staring into the forest to their left. "I told you it would take a week." "It's only been two days!" ,the ottsel flung himself backwards, fully exasperated. Dax went flying into the dashboard as the captain of the Freedom League hit the breaks hard. "Sundown. We'll eat then get some rest." The boy slowly pulled his face from the dash, placing his feet against it to pry himself away. "Mmph mid mphat mun mpumos." Torn smirked pulling the ottsel free. "Why would I do that on purpose?"

The small orange rat rolled up invisible sleeves as he marched towards Torn. "Why I ought-a!" The brown haired man rolled his eyes and took out their food, ignoring him. "Neither of us like this, but we're stuck with it. So let make the best of it and not fight" ,he glanced at Dax with raised eyebrows before tossing the ottsel a small sandwich. "If you get us killed, I'll never work with you again." Torn, tensed, slowly stopping the chewing of his food and setting what was left down. Daxter gulped, having heard the same scraping sound as Torn. The older man slowly drew his gun, heading in the direction of the sound, close to the tree line.

Torn jumped back as a brightly colored bird flew out of the trees, narrowly missing his head. Still watching the trees, he put his gun back in his holster, calming his shaking nerves. "Aw. Did the little bird rattle Mr. Grumpy" ,Dax asked with a grin. The man simply picked up his sandwich, shaking his head as he shifted to watch the trees. He knew for a fact the a small bird couldn't have made that sound. By the time they finished eating in silence, or rather Torn's silence, as Daxter never stopped talking, it was dark. "Sleep rat." Daxter opened his mouth to protest, only to be cutoff by his own yawn. With a nod, he curled up in the passenger seat, resting his head on his tail. Torn shook his head and laid down on the ground, staring up at the dark sky.

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Jak stared up at the stars with bright blue eyes, feeling the hard rooftop beneath him. As he lowered heavy lids upon gleaming orbs, a smile crossed his face. He was back in Sandover. Kiera was to his right, staring up with him at the sky. Still, something was wrong, an important part missing. With a laugh, a small red-head came skidding up in front of them. In his hands were various sugary treats. He plopped down to Jak's left, passing candies out to his two companions. Now everything was right. The three of them, sitting there, best friends and at each others sides forever. Suddenly things changed.

Jak stared in shock, for the first time in his life, he wanted to scream. He wanted to shout till his lungs burst. Within seconds his best friend was sent flying out of the dark pit, his body changed into that of an animal. Nothing would ever be the same now. At that point, it was only the two of them, even when she was there, he felt guilty, he had to make a point of being at his side. Being with him through thick and thin was fine and all, but she refused to be there with them. The scene changed again in his mind. He stared down with warped vision at the small creature he had called friend.

The purple haze clouded his vision, making the form almost indistinguishable. Word were coming to his ears, but they were hard to hear. The image quickly became clear as his friend stood, cowering in his ottsel from before him. His vision when back to normal, and he was fighting. Were was his friend? The world was being shaken up. He didn't have enough dark or light eco to transform. From what he could see, he was running out of bullets. He wasn't sure how they got in, but they were attacking, and he couldn't think about it. Their glowing yellow eyes stared down at him, he was out of ammo.

The sight of bullets whizzing past his head told him back up was here, and that he should duck. In moments it was over, the blue armored figures cleaning up the human casualties as the dark eco found its way to his bruised body. Torn was sitting at a table, cleaning the deep cut he received when blocking a Metalhead from Jak. They alone had been fighting, the other men dieing rather early on in the fight. He saw his friend, near the back of the room, staring in shock. He glanced over his shoulder and watched as Daxter got farther away, riding on Torn's shoulder. Frowning, he looked back at Ashelin, listening to what he had to do. With a gasp, he sat up, wide eyes staring at the first ray's of the sunrise.

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Dax glanced back, hoping the man who's shoulder he sat on didn't see. He saw his friend's back, green-blond hair on his head and a gun strapped to him. He was talking to Ashelin, like nothing was happening. Daxter looked back front, a fake smile plastered on his face. With a jerk, he snapped awake. A large hand shook him from his sleep. "Rise and shine hero" ,Torn's rough voice was inches away from Dax's ear. "Hey" ,he jumped up glaring at the older man "Two words :Personal space!" Torn pushed down hard on the petal, sending the car screeching forward.

Daxter looked out at the sky as he rubbed sleep from his furry face. His eyes widened as he realized the sun was just starting to rise. "Hey! Tattooed wonder! What are we doing leaving now?" Torn glared down at the rat before returning his eyes to the path in front of them. "The more traveling we do, the faster we will get there." Despite the fact that his logic worked, the ottsel just wouldn't hear it. "Well why wake me up?" When no answer came, he settled down into his seat for a long day, sticking his tongue out at the surly man.

After three hours of driving, the orange ottsel was growing very board. He had taken up looking through the vehicle for something interesting. The boy was soon stopped at the glove compartment, trying to pry it open. When Torn asked him what he was doing, he replied that there was only one good reason for it to be locked, something interesting had to be in it. Despite enjoying watching Daxter become frustrated with it, Torn wasn't enjoying the long string of vulgar words spewing from the seat next to him. How did such a young boy learn so many foul words?

The brunette reached over, slamming his fist into the top of the dash, causing the compartment to fall open. Dax gasped in joy as he snuggled a bottle of strange blue liquid. With a groan, Torn imagined how much of a headache a drunk ottsel would be. Daxter raised his and in a fist to Torn, waiting for the other to bump their fists together. When the older man only shot him a questioning look, the orange kid proceeded to show him what he was supposed to do. "Come on, even Ashelin knows how to do that!" The captain of the guard only shook his head, not really caring. With a sigh of contentment, Dax opened the bottle and started to drink it.

Torn recoiled at the sight of the small ottsel chugging the strong smelling liquid. He scoffed at the boy who had started leaning far back to get the last of the thick alcohol to drip into his mouth. As Dax put down the bottle, Torn couldn't help but hope he was a quiet drunk. Unfortunately it wasn't so. A sloppy wet kiss was placed on his cheek, causing his to swerve and hit the brakes in shock. The ottsel was rubbing his head against the mans arm. "You know wha buddy? I luv ya man! We, hic, should do tis mur offen." Torn was suddenly feeling very sorry for Jak, wondering just how many times Daxter had done this. The ottsel flopped back into the seat, singing the first things that came to his mind. "Iiiiiiii Sometiimesss feeeeeel so verryyyyy very..." His voice trailed off as he fell asleep, curled up in the seat. As Torn started driving, he couldn't help but wonder if he could get away with leaving Daxter there.

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"Honestly. Onin has nothing to say. She can't, Braaww, help you. So leave. You are interrupting my siesta time" ,Pecker shooed the tall blond out of the tent with a scowl. Jak jumped as his communicator went off. A frown crossed his face as the next to last voice he wanted to hear beamed at him from the communicator. "Hey pretty boy. I could use a hand like your's out here."

"What do you want? Shouldn't you be blowing something up?" The voice beamed at him through the communicator. "My thinking exactly! Come meet me outside the Naughty Ottsel. I could use your help with my latest mission." Rubbing his temple, Jak sighed, "I don't have much time to spare Jinx. I need to go talk with Vin." Silence. "Fine. I'll just take a guard. Vin needs more help than I do seeing how he doesn't have a body and all. Catch you later Blondie."

With a grimace, Jak rubbed his temples. As much as he didn't want to think about Dax and his mission, Jinx only would have made things worse. So he pulled the board off his back ad raced towards the little room that Vin called home. With out though, he ducked and weaved through the people and traffic, his mind far from Haven city. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he had realized where he was and dismounted from the hover board, walking the rest of the way into the electronic filled room. "W-W-who's th-there?" The excited question snapped Jak out of his musing. With a sly grin, "It's only me Vin. Switch to decaf." A hologram face appeared before him. "Oh. I don't drink coffee. Not that I can anymore, but Torn always told me to avoid caffeine." "Good thinking. Now what am I here for? Your the computer wiz."

A screen popped up in front of him. On it was the seal of Mar, but slightly modified somehow. "I found this in the databanks. Those number next to it are coordinates. When I went to access it, I found a blueprint for a city!" "So?" Jak still wasn't sure what he was needed for. "This isn't just any city Jak! It's different from Haven City! It-" Vin stopped as the building shook as a loud bang echoed through the city. The dark hero looked around with interest as He tried to keep on his feet. "W-what was t-t-that?" The blond man shook his head for a second before turning to Vin. "We can talk about the city in a bit. I think Jinx might need some help!" He dashed out, his communicator in hand, calling the wayward explosives tech to find his location.

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Hey! Sorry it took so long to continue. First my home computer caught a virus and crashed, then I couldn't find the writer program on my new laptop(I'm electronically stupid), then I was swamped with college courses. There is nothing like a degree in anthropology and psychology to really suck your time. Anyways….I'm back, temporarily. I hope to be able to keep updating, but you ever know. Thanks for the patience.


	3. Chapter 3

-1Still don't own Jak and Daxter. Enjoy.

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Dax shivered in his seat, watching a similar occurrence in the red-head next to him. It had gotten cold, very cold, very fast. The wheels crunched over frozen ground as they buzzed along. "Why doesn't this thing have a heater?" Torn raised an interested eyebrow at the ottsel. "And what, may I ask, use would they have for that in the desert," he questioned mockingly. For a second the furry creature considered sticking his tongue out, but reconsidered as another shiver raced through his skin.

Torn frowned, "Sorry. I guess the cold is making me a little bitter." Daxter's eyes widened at the unusual show of remorse. Stowing his rude retort, he settled in to his seat, only to be flung into the dash as the car spun on dark ice. The tires screamed as the guardsman fought to regain control. He jerked back in his seat as the car screeched to a halt. Wide eyed he stared off the high cliff his car was perched so wonderfully on the edge of. Backing it up, carefully, he placed stepped out onto the treacherous ground, his eyes never leaving the objects that now held his sight. Dax jumped up on to the tall man's shoulder, only to gasp at the tall structures he saw before him.

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The blond hero jumped off of his hover board, surveying the damaged area. It appeared that all had gone according to plan, which scared him. The beaming explosives tech stood, just outside the city limits, with a cascade of rocks behind him. "Well Jackie-boy, what do you think," Jinx grinned, positive he knew the answer to his question. "You blew up a rock face." He raised a hand in to pause him, wrapping the other around the younger man's shoulders to face him where he wanted him. "Do you see that? That rock face contains green eco. And what's more, in the process we destroyed a metalhead nest that was feeding off of it." Jak had to smile at that, while the insane demolition man next to him enjoyed destroying all things, he took special satisfaction in removing enemy threats.

"Sorry to have doubted you Jinx. I guess I have to go back to help Vin now," he grimaced at the dusty man, "You might want to get yourself cleaned up." Stepping back onto his board, he sped away, listening to the maniacal laughs behind him. He weaved through traffic, always cautious of a surprise attack. He looked up to find he had stopped, and so did his heart. Jak would have been more than pleased to never see this place again. Slowly, he stepped down , dragging his feet as he walked through the crowed to that horrid memory. They had done well to clean it up, it almost looked new, but it would never be the same. Through his mind images of blood and gore flashed. He shut his eyes against it trying to block the screams from his ears. Tears graced his dark eyes, filling at the edges, near the point of overflowing.

"Hey!" The shout snapped him back to attention as he ran out of the street, and the way of hover cars. Quietly he walked along the wall heading to a door he had often gone through without a care. No one greeted him this time as he switched on the training course. Pulling the scatter gun off of his back, he walked in to the last one she had created. Everything was moving, it was so elaborate. He kept his finger from pulling back as the hologram of an innocent ran at him, only to fire seconds later. Suddenly he was surrounded by KGB and metalheads. His scatter gun went off in rapid succession, stopping only to reload as another innocent ran into his sight. Before he knew it, the session had ended, some where in the back of his mind it registered that he had gotten a perfect score. Unsatisfied he stepped outside, wincing as the sun glared mercilessly upon him. He had put off long enough, Jak knew he needed to go talk to Vin.

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"Hello! Is anyone here!" The red-headed leader of the guard reached up to rub the ear by which the precocious ottsel had just screamed out. "Shhh." In the silence, all that could be heard were Torn's boots crunching in the snow, the large city seemed to swallow the two figures. Daxter shivered and slinked around the older man's neck. "Why is this place so cold?" His whole body moved as the other shrugged. "At least you have fur." The cold laugh used to respond was eaten away by the frozen air. "What happened here," the whispered question felt to loud for both of them. No response, but was one really needed?

There was no need for Dax to ask where they were going. Something seemed to draw them to the city square. They weren't sure why, but it seemed most logical to go to the very center. Still, an uneasy feeling settled over them. While the whole city was dark and lifeless, nothing made it so. Aside from an even coat of snow, the city was barren. _Every thing is in perfect condition, no dust is on the wears behind shop windows, and, there are no bodies, fresh or old, meaning something had either driven the people out in a hurry, or…_ Torn cut off that though, but none the less he pulled out his hand gun, keeping the safety off.

He froze, not sure he wanted to continue forward. The snow was suddenly gone, it seemed only ice kept them standing on air. The city square was indeed open far below the lever they were on now. He could almost feel the orange ottsel's stomach sink as the thought crossed its mind, had they been walking on ice all this time. "We should go," he started, "on the ice." The other scoffed, what on earth was he thinking? Before he could stop him, the younger man was on the edge of the square licking the ice. He almost laughed at what came next. "Thurn. Ets gazz, buu may tugg ezz thuk." Trying not to chuckle, Torn walked over and pulled the fuzzy creature free, ripping a chunk of his tongue off to do so.

Setting him down he looked down at the ground. Finding it truly was glass, he relaxed a little. To his slight alarm there was a circle in the middle that was completely free of even glass. Was that supposed to be there? With out a thought the adventurous teenager walked to the hole, gazing down with interest. He had failed to see the symbol on the edge of the thing made of white marble, or how it light up when he stepped on it. Torn, however caught it, but to late. As he shouted to the ottsel to move, something started in the chasm. Four bright, colored lights clashed together, the shock wave sending the ottsel off balance. "Daxter!" The red-head shouted as he reached in earnest for the falling form.

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Short chapter sorry. As much as I love visiting the east coast in winter, I'm stuck trying to write on my lap top while still interacting with the whole family…not a lot of time for that, but I don't sleep much anyway, so, we'll see. I hope to do several more on this and my other story, and maybe start another…maybe not. Hope you enjoyed and I'll have the next chapter up as soon as possible.


	4. Chapter 4

Not owning… hope you enjoy this chapter.

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The red-head commander stared down at the small fuzzy creature, his dark tattoos a contrast to his ghostly face. "Don't ever do that again," he scolded as he hauled the boy out of the hole. "Aww, if I didn't know better I'd say you were worried." The tall man eyed him. "If something happened to you it would be my head with Ashlen." The four lights had stopped, leaving in its place a pulsating white mass. Torn looked around to see the town full of lights, everything seemed to be powered by the strange generator. Even the ground started to heat, turning the snow to slush. His eyes locked on the white mass with interest. "What is that?" He turned in time to see the grin on the ottsel's face. "I don't believe it. Its……."

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"White eco?" The large computer version of Vin nodded excitedly. "W-while it takes some of all the main ecos to create, it gives off far more energy!" Jak grinned mischievously, remembering the first, and last, time he had seen white eco. His grin slowly dropped. Were it not for him, Dax could have used it to become human again. _Then you wouldn't be here now, where you belong_, part of his brain reasoned. None the less, he found himself pained at the thought of it. Vin looked at him worriedly. That wasn't exactly the reaction he was looking for. "Something wrong Jak?" He shook his head.

" So how was this thing created? I know from experience that it is near impossible to create white eco." Vin nodded. "Based on the blue prints, it looks like it was once designed to be like Haven city. Still, it seems much more futuristic than what we have. Some of this technology is i-impossible with the materials we have right now. Some of the things we would need to make this are so complex…." Jak rolled his eyes At the obviously more interested man. "So what do I need to do?" Vin snapped out of his ramblings. "There is a laboratory near the palace with men working on things like this. I need you to deliver the readings on these materials to them so they can figure out more on this city." "Is that all," Jak questioned grinning, even as he took the information. With a last wave he hurried off, heading to the lab.

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"What the hell is white eco?" Daxter simply grinned at the man. At the threatening glare however, he decided it would be in his best interests to explain. "You know what light eco is right?" At the nod he continued. "It's formed by the four main ecos combining slowly over time. White eco, however, is the rapid combination of the four ecos, resulting in an instable, powerful mass of eco energy." He received a blank stare. "It fuses together so rapidly that it can't maintain itself for long. I imagine that generator can store a whole hell of a lot of energy." Again the blank stare. This time he only responded with a questioning look. "How do you know that?" Dax grinned.

"The light eco thing I learned from Samos. But the white eco, I learned from experience and observation," he answered matter-of-factly. Torn snorted, his eyes still fixated on the fluffy, cotton like mass. Dax climbed slowly towards the edge. "What do you think your doing?" "Getting some." Torn's eyes widened as he reached out towards the ottsel currently climbing down the strange generator, he had a feeling this was going to be a singed eyebrows moment. Right on cue. As the boy touched the white mass, it pulsated, then seemed to shatter. Torn reached up to catch the flying ottsel, only to be surprised when he himself was sent flying back. His body felt heavy as he lost consciousness.

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Somewhere in his mind, Daxter realized he was cold. He just couldn't care. Still, his whole body ached enough he wanted to get up. He groaned as something shifted under his back. A grunt of pain answered him. He sat up cautiously, wincing as his pants rubbed viciously at his cold legs. A strange thought ran through his head as his eyes remained closed. Why could he feel his pants? Eyes fluttered open slowly to the cold town square. That explained where he was. He looked down at himself, glaring at his bare feet. He really needed boots. _And a shirt_ His min added rebelliously as he, still sleepy, wrapped his arms around his chest. That's when he paused, thoroughly surprised. Doing a double take, he looked at himself with wide eyes. Seconds later the air was filled with an ear-splitting scream.

Torn sat up with a jerk, drawing his gun. Through the harsh cloud in his mind he tried to figure out what had happened. He remembered Daxter reaching for that strange eco, then they were both blown back. Next thing he knew he was waking up to an ungodly screech. Almost reluctant he turned towards the still screaming figure, more curious, about what could make the small ottsel make so much noise, than worried. For all his experience he couldn't manage to keep his nonchalant look. Jaw on the floor, he stared at the orange haired man who had to be at least nineteen, standing in the square screaming. He was quickly to his feet, walking towards the boy, gun still drawn.

Dax turned to see Torn pointing a gun at him, and quickly scrambled back. "What the hell are you doing," he shouted in outrage. That voice was all too familiar to the guardsman, but the figure wasn't. "Who are you?" The question quickly deflated Daxter's pride. "It's me Dax." Torn holstered his gun, oddly believing. "What happened?" Dax once again looked at his thin, lithe frame. "I'm bringing sexy back?" Torn rolled his eyes, it was definitely him. "How did you turn into a human?" "Correction," Dax raised his hand," "How did I turn _**back**_ into a human?" He saw the shrug and frowned. "It must have been the eco. Back when I was younger, a couple of people told me I could use white eco to change back, but they wouldn't tell me how." Torn shot a 'what happened to them' look at Dax. "They died." At the red-heads shock he smiled. "They were evil anyway." The older man nodded slowly.

Dax shivered and hopped a little in the snow. "You know what I miss? Clothes. I only have pants on right now." Torn smiled, only to grunt as his shoulder tugged uncomfortably. The next glare he shot Dax was one with an accusatory air. The orange-haired boy shrugged in response, apologetically. He started walking with Torn to find a shop in the town that might have the clothes he so desperately needed. The guard captain looked up at the younger boy with a grunt, he was a full head taller. "Your taller than I thought." Dax broke down laughing at the man glaring defiantly up at him.

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Short. I felt bad for leaving the last one the way I did. I'm not a big fan of cliffhangers. That's why I pumped this out so quick, that and my wonderful break. I would like to mention that I don't own, nor would I want to, Justin Timberlake's "I'm bringing sexy back" . The line just suited Dax so well. I'll explain more about what happened in the naughty ottsel once Dax has clothes. Hope you enjoyed and I'll try to write a longer one next time, hopefully just as quick.


	5. Chapter 5

-1I'm back…..and I feel this is the last chapter I should have to say I don't own this, with any luck everyone will have gathered that now.

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Jak rolled out from behind one car to duck behind a wall as his previous hiding spot was blasted apart. As he slammed another clip into his gun he glanced around the wall. Another breech of the wall had metalheads pouring in with force. He and a couple of freedom fighters had managed to slow the flow of creatures and evacuate the area of civilians. Still, he didn't know how long he and the three others could last. They had already called for back up, now they could only wait and hope.

The sound of renewed, heavier gunfire told him help was finally there. Ducking out from behind the wall he ran forward with his Vulcan gun, firing into the monsters. Help had made it on time and everyone was going to make it out alive. For once things were going right. Once they pushed the monsters back out of the city, killing many along the way, several fighters stood guard as they got a repair crew to start on its way to the breech. As soon as he was sure they could handle themselves, the blond hero proceeded on his way to the lab. Maybe, just maybe, this new city could help solve their metal head problem.

- - - - - - - -

Daxter came out of the empty building with a tight red vest on over a loose white shirt. Black boots protected his feet and he continued to wear the strange pants given to him by the precursors that had changed with him. Many leather straps held up his clothing and soft leather gloves covered his hands, all except for the fingers which had been obviously cut off. He had also managed to find an odd pair of goggles that he used to push his hair back out of his face.

Torn looked over the boy with surprise. There was an odd look of determination in those soft blue eyes he had never noticed before, never even realized was there. It was like looking at someone entirely different than the ottsel he had come to know. The moment was lost as he received a big, bucktooth grin. "How do I look?" The older man snorted. "Like a fool." With a pain in his chest it dawned on him just how well this young man and Tess would have looked together. He caught himself as a tear slid down his cheek.

Dax walked forward with concerned look on his face. This man never cried. "Um…Torn, buddy, got something in your eye?" The red haired Capitan shook his head as he started to smile. "I just pictured how wonderful Tess would have looked on your wedding day." The younger man's breath caught in his throat as a painful wash of emotions crashed down on him. Torn reached out to him apologetically. "I shouldn't have said anything. I'm sorry," the sorrow in his voice was tangible. Dax shook his head as if to say it wasn't his fault.

"W-what happened wasn't your f-fault." The angered older man shook Dax violently by the shoulders. "It's as much my fault as it is Jak's." Daxter pulled himself away with a glare. "You didn't promise to protect her with your life, only to let her die." His mouth dropped open as a closed fist connected firmly with his jaw. "You foolish little prick. You instantly jumped to conclusions without a care for just how devastated Jak was." Torn resisted the urge to sock Dax again as he glared defiantly at him.

The orange haired boy sneered at the man. How could he possibly understand what was going on between him and the man he used to call friend? "Him, devastated? He sure didn't act like it." He spat the words with venom directed not towards Torn, but Jak. "You're so stupid. You have no idea. As if it wasn't bad enough for him that Keira was badly hurt in the previous breech, he lost a good friend when Tess died. He had done all he could. He was defending her to the best of his abilities when he was knocked out by a metalhead. He had already used all of his light eco and dark. She refused to leave."

The younger man turned from him and placed his fingers in his ears, obviously not interested in the truth. Torn yanked his hand down and held it there to keep him from putting it back. "You. You weren't there for him. He tried so hard. He nearly died, if I hadn't blocked a metalhead that was going for him he would have. He told her to stay out of the way, but when he lost consciousness she hopped up on the bar and started shooting." Daxter yanked his hand away and turned from the man, walking to the hole in the square, staring down the darkness, eyeing the metal that made up the belly of the city. Torn placed a hand on his shoulder to comfort him.

"I tried to stop her, but it was too late. Jak had just woken back up. He unloaded a clip into the back of the creature, hoping, praying he could stop it in time. He has a shorter temper than you, he couldn't help but be mad that you accused him of not trying." Dax nodded. "I remember when he was the calm one, always cooling me off. He was always critical of himself, and I just had to push it." He sat down with a sigh, the older man joined him with a frown, it wasn't often he connected with people, but he felt he needed to be some sort of comfort.

"You know, he never did get over the fact that he had knocked me into that dark eco. It was always an accident, but he felt so responsible." Torn smiled at this, is sounded like Jak to never drop something that happened six years ago. "You two can put that behind you now, and, with time, you can heal and learn to cope with what happened to Tess, together." The orange haired teen nodded. It was silent for a few seconds before a flash of green across the square caught Dax's attention.

Both men looked up to see a sparkling green creature bathing its paw with a long tongue. Dax instantly recognized that cat like figure and stood up with a jolt. Torn followed suit, reaching slowly for his gun, until Dax raised his hand to stop him. "It's a muse, but what is it doing here?" The creature that was said to be long extinct in this future sat there with its perfect poise, waiting for anyone to try and catch it. Again memories of running around on that dark, miserable rock reminded him of just how close of friends he and Jak really were.

He crouched down and cooed to the small animal as he inched slowly towards it. He stopped completely as it stood and turned to him. "Here little muse, come here." If it could, the creature would have surely rolled its eyes at him, as was Torn was doing so right behind his back. The creature came running forward and Daxter smiled, hoping for once the creature would come to him, rather than lead him on a wild goose chase. Instead the creature jumped onto his back and used him as a spring board to reach Torn's shoulder. The older man groaned as he attempted to lean away from his new self designated pet, rubbing against his face.

After a short glare, the younger man started laughing. "I think it likes you." Torn snorted. "And how exactly do I make it stop?" The teen shrugged and shook his head. Light seemed to explode around them as the setting sun's rays bounced off the almost entirely glass city. The muse yawned tiredly as it curled itself against Torn's neck. Dax nodded in agreement with it. "I think we should get something to eat and find a place to sleep. I don't know about you, but I don't really want to be outside around here when it gets dark." Torn nodded as he started through the town, hoping he could find someplace that looked safe.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I hope that chapter wasn't to abrupt. Sorry to all the Tess fans, I love her too, but I figured only something like this could break them apart and hurt their friend ship. I know I wrote Torn in as a nice guy this chapter, but I had this image in my head of him feeling like he had to help Dax since he couldn't stop it either. Don't worry, the muse will actually have a use latter. Hope you enjoyed it.


	6. Chapter 6

Hey…still not owning.

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Torn watched the young man in front of him with interest. It wasn't that long ago that he knew nothing about him, and he was just a fur ball. Now he was sitting in some strange city, with a strange animal next to him and that strange young man, watching the sun set. He and Daxter had found a relatively safe place to spend the night, and they would take turns keeping watch. He had agreed to take first watch. Even then, as Dax stare in awe at the vibrant red spectacle, fully reflected off of the city, his eyelids drooped with sleep.

"Get some rest. We'll do a better search of the city in the morning."

The boy nodded, telling him to wake him when it was his turn to watch. Tired, he curled up on the floor, the muse laying next to him. Torn tried not to laugh. While it seemed normal to the boy who had slept like that for years, it looked odd to the guardsman, seeing the overly tall boy in such a defensive position. The red-head turned back to the window as the last sliver of sun started to disappear. For a second he couldn't see anything through the fiery light. He sighed, it was almost beautiful.

- - - - - - -

"Wow."

A short brunette with big brown eyes laughed. Jak had to admit that the boy had a way with words. The way he explained what the city was made up of was so detailed, and yet so simple. The teenage scientist turned back to his work with a grin. He like being able to get that reaction out of people.

"So you see how that would be a big advantage?"

The blond hero nodded with a smile as he looked at the note scribbled messily on the paper. He waved it in the air for a second and started towards the door, stuffing it into his pocket. It was his job to give this information to Ashelin.

"Latter!" His only response was a wave of the hand as the young scientist poured over his work once again.

- - - - - - -

For the first time in a long time, Dax didn't dream of pain and sorrow. His mind didn't race with thoughts about getting Jak out of prison, or surviving the next attack. He didn't think about dark makers, desert storms, or the people he cared about drenched in their own blood. Instead his mind was in Sandover. He was human, laying on the sand with a smile. Jak was sitting next to him, always silent. He was one of the few people who could actually understand his silent partner's body language.

Jak's eye was swollen shut from a rather uncomfortable encounter with a whumpbie. Dax's chest was littered with marks, not that he cared. They had been chased through the town by the strange creatures, finally loosing them through a yakow field. Their small bodies heaved up and down as they panted, strained from the long run. He and Jak were both fit, but his silent friend didn't have to waist oxygen on screaming, so recovered more quickly.

The green haired boy stood up with a grin and stretched. Daxter flopped over turning away from him with a smile. He could hear the younger boy standing behind him stamp his foot in annoyance. To better illustrate his point, the orange haired child made a loud snoring noise. If he got up now they would have to deal with Samos, and that meant a lecture. He stifled a giggle as the other kicked sand over him and placed his hands on his hips. He didn't have to see him to know it, he had known it for years. He closed his eyes against the sun, taking in the warmth. From somewhere behind him he felt a hand come down on his shoulder.

- - - - - - -

Torn growled lightly as he shook harder on the boy's shoulder. Boy was he a heavy sleeper. A hand slammed into his face as he woke with a jolt. Rubbing his sapphire eyes, Daxter noted the pissed guardsman holding his nose. He didn't even try to hide his grin. Slowly he sat up and stretched, remembering the memory that had taken the place of his dreams. He stretched his arms out over his head, bringing one down quickly to cover a yawn.

"Wake me at dawn."

Dax nodded as the older man lay down on his back and shut his eyes, grunting slightly as his pet jumped onto his stomach. The orange haired boy turned to the window with a sigh. It was still dark, the light from the moon cast an eerie glow on the city. It didn't help that there was a blanket of snow and fog dimming the light and casting it off in strange patterns. He locked eyes with his reflection in the window. He was staring into the hollow green orbs, tinted with the moonlight and left empty by the dark sky behind them. Daxter shivered and looked away, back into the darkness.

The place they had chosen had a clear view of the city square. From deep within the hole, a white light glowed. He assumed it must be ambient energy from the white eco. Dully he wondered how Torn had managed to stay quiet the whole time, it hadn't been that long and he was already bored. He glanced over to see the sleeping man and had to bite back a laugh. He hadn't noticed before that the red-head had taken his over shirt off. So he distracted himself by working out. It almost seemed like a Jak move.

He glanced back out the window and smiled. That actually didn't sound too bad. It had been a while since he was human, he needed to know what he was capable of anyway. Silently he removed his red vest and white shirt. Experimentally he did a quick pushup. Seeing that his body was capable of holding up his weight, he started in without hesitation. He had never done pushups as a human, but over the years as an ottsel, he had gotten used to them when he wasn't running or helping Jak. He needed as much strength as he could get as an ottsel. He set his resolve to continue until dawn, staring out at the dark, dead city.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Still a kind of short chapter. I intend to write a longer one next chapter. Not that the first hurdle of him turning human is done, things should get more interesting and fun. Anyways, hope you enjoyed and I'll get the next chapter out soon as possible.


	7. Chapter 7

Sorry sorry sorry…..I got so caught up in schoolwork, and then this head cold….I haven't felt like writing…..

Dax sat up to wipe sweat off his brow just as the sun came up with blinding force. He fell backwards with a shout, causing the elder guardsman to snap awake with his gun in his hand. Torn frowned as the early morning sun lit the entire city in an overpowering orange haze.

"When I said wake me, I didn't mean with bells and dance."

Behind him the little muse stretched out from its night of sleep, ignoring the silently cursing boy with red-orange hair next to it. Torn shook his head at him and sat down hard to pull on his boots and over shirt. With a quick motion of his wrist he pulled his reddish-brown dreadlocks into a loose ponytail to keep it out of the way. Daxter snickered at this as he pushed his hair back with his goggles.

"Something funny rat?"

"No ma'am."

Torn whipped around to face the grinning teen. It took all his willpower not to smack him with the butt of his gun, but he restrained himself. Turning, instead, to the window, he was glad to see that the sunlight no longer filled the city and they would be able to walk around. Without another word he stood up to go. Much to his surprise, the little green burr leapt for his shoulder and, upon landing, curled itself around his neck.

"Daxter?"

"Yes Torn?"

"I hate you."

Daxter smiled as he started down the stairs that would lead them out of their hiding place and into the city proper. Following close behind, gun drawn, the guard captain kept his eyes wide open, looking for trouble.

The doors to the power station slid open with a hiss for the young, green-haired man that stood before them. Stepping inside, he quickly shouldered his board and trotted up to the main computer.

"Hey Vin! How are things going with finding information on that city?"

Vin shook his head and popped up several windows to show what he found. Most were covered in strange precursor writing, but some were actual legible. Jak overlooked these waiting, rather, to hear it all from Vin.

"It's complicated Jak. I can't read most of this! I could use Samos's help, he knows how to translate some of the language."

Jak grimaced and turned toward the door. Getting Samos meant going to where Keira was. He wanted to see her, but wasn't sure he could. He wasn't sure if he could pull Samos, or himself, away. Sighing, he bolted out the door and onto his jet board to get the needed sage.

Ashlen sighed as she settled down next to the young monk. She had just been about to eat her breakfast when he appeared with news from Spargus. He had been traveling all night and refused to rest until he spoke with her. He took a few more seconds to catch his breath then pulled something from his shirt.

"I-I was told only you and Jak were to see this. It's…it's a precursor artifact."

The boy extended his upturned hands out to her, the small seal balanced on them. The circular clasp held four stones on the outside, each a different color. The inside held a light eco crystal and a dark eco crystal. At the very center it appeared to be broken apart. Slowly she reached out towards it and plucked it from the boy's hands.

"I will be sure that Jak gets this. It looks like the symbol we found for the other city."

The boy nodded slowly and she realized he was still tired from his long excursion. She patted him on the head and told him to rest promising to have a message for him to deliver back by the next morning. With a sigh she left the room, postponing her breakfast a little longer to get the artifact to Jak.

"I'm tired! And hungry! Can we stop for a bit?"

Torn stared incredulously at the orange haired man that insisted on whining so much.

"You just ate. Besides, we have to cover as much ground as we can in this city before nightfall. The sooner we finish our search, the sooner we can leave."

The younger crossed his arms in front of his chest and muttered to himself about evil guardsmen that don't feed their prisoners. Deliberately ignoring him, Torn continued forward only to stop after he rounded the corner.

"Ow! Why did you stop?"

Torn glanced back to see the young man holding his nose and glaring at him, but quickly refocused his attention to the hole that stood open in front of them. They had made their way back to the town square again. He stared in shock, positive he had been heading the other way.

"It's like a maze. All roads seem to lead back here."

"Maybe you should keep your hand on one wall, you know, to make sure you keep going forward."

He turned to glare at the young man before it sank in what he had said. With a grin, Torn gestured toward the wall, offering for the young man to do it himself since it was his bright idea. Smugly Dax set his hand against the wall, only to pull it back in surprise from the cold. Glaring defiantly at the now laughing Torn, he returned his hand to the wall with a shudder and started forward, listening to the sound of snow crunching under their boots.

He whispered with a laugh, "I wish we had though to ask Vin for a copy of the blueprints."

Sorry this isn't longer, I'm still not feeling like myself. I hope I can find time to do more, but with classes starting back up soon, I don't know. Hope you enjoy this chapter, even if it is short and odd, it is mostly filler, but necessary for the next part.


	8. Chapter 8

**I know…no excuse for not updating…. Won't even try to explain.**

-

Three times. Three times in a row. That was the number of times they had ended up back at the center of the square when Dax kept intense track of where he was going. The first time Torn snorted, assuming he had made a mistake. The second time he was paying close attention and marked the snow in the square to ensure they didn't come back. The third time he put his hand to the wall too. He and Dax headed in opposite directions, and came into the square right next to each other.

"How the hell do we get out of here?"

Torn frowned, "I'm not even sure where the car is. Who's to say we don't leave and end up far away from where we should be?"

Dax frowned too, looking up as the small flakes that had been falling for the past half hour fell against his cheeks. Torn could see the setting sun, and gestured for Dax to follow him to a safe place for the night. He stopped when he realized the lanky red-head wasn't following him. He stood there watching the sun set.

A second of blinding light, then the whole town seemed to go dark. Torn cursed under his breath as he fumbled for a flashlight in his belt. The surly man never got it out though, as the whole town seemed to light up. Daxter leaned down to wipe the snow from under his feet, and was surprised to find it was glass holding them up.

"So it wasn't just the square. The whole city is built on glass over a serious system of electronics."

"Yeah, but that doesn't help us escape," Torn cleared some of the snow with his boot, watching the lights as they seemed to flow under his feet.

"Maybe, but it might lead us to the exit."

The words barely left his mouth before the line of lights he stood over turned from the soft green to a violent red. No other lights were effected. With a look of suspicion, the brown haired guard followed after Dax, who went along without a thought.

"This could be a trap."

"By who? The city is deserted."

"Maybe before it was deserted."

"No. That's too easy."

"How would they know which exit we're looking for."

"There is probably only one. Why else would we not be able to find a way out?"

"You and Jak are too optimistic."

"…" Daxter didn't respond, just followed the red lights.

They twisted and turned in surprising directions, ones they didn't remember taking. The cold air was biting at their skin, rapidly loosing heat as the moon rose. Torn followed Dax without another word, his gun in his hands and the ever vigilant muse on his shoulder. A holler of surprise snapped his attention to the front, his gun level and ready to be fired, but the young red-head was darting forward, into the open air towards their vehicle. With a sigh of relief, Torn holstered his gun and followed him out.

"We're leaving, now."

"Cool," Dax murmured as he settled into the seat, and quickly buckled up.

They were off in a flash, going as fast as they could away, unaware of the dark eyes that watched them leave the city. Several miles away, after hours of driving, the snow had stopped and the air started to warm. Torn parked the car and, once again as calm on the inside as he appeared outside, he leaned back in his seat, settled to get some sleep. Looking over he could see the ex-ottsel already fast asleep. The muse curled up between them and was soon fast asleep as well.

-

Jak found himself pacing outside the hospital, unable to actually go in. From inside, doctors would glance at him in interest. Finally he sat down, back to the doors, head in hands. What he needed right then was a large boost of confidence in the form of a small orange friend. More than ever he felt bad about chasing him off. A small feeling in the back of his mind told him things wouldn't ever be the same, though he had no idea how very true that was.

A hand on his shoulder jolted him from his reserve, and sent his hands flying to his gun. Jinx stood behind him, hands raised in a non threatening manner as he back away slightly.

"Didn't know you were so on edge Blondie."

"Yeah. Sorry."

"No problem. I just cam from getting stitched up though, wouldn't like to go back just yet. Hero.'

"Don't you have something to blow up?"

"On my way to speak to our wonderful princess, er, baroness, now."

"You do that."

"I hear there's a pretty young thing in there that just woke up asking for you, you know Blondie."

With that the explosives tech walked off, a smile on his face. Jak bolted up and entered without a second thought. It wasn't quite as good as Daxter, but it worked anyway.

In her room, Samos stood over his daughter's bed. Kiera was in bad shape, mostly covered in bandages, and connected to several machines to monitor her. When he saw this, Jak froze. He wasn't sure he could face her, always strong and so quick to heal. Compared to him, she was frail and it was his fault that he expected her to have the wherewithal to stand up the way he and Dax did.

She wasn't weak. Never weak. She just wasn't like him, or Daxter, or even Torn and Ashlen, who's strength was borne of desperation. They had all done well to be sure her and Tess would never be able to defend themselves by deluding themselves that they would always be there so they wouldn't have to. Jak was sure now, if, when, she got better, he would teach her to fight the way he had once taught Dax, the way Torn could, even Ashlen's style would be fine, as long as she never had to depend on him again. Not to say that he wouldn't be there as much as he could, but, unlike how Daxter could so easily cling to him, she would have to leave his side.

Samos saw him in the door and started to leave. Jak nodded to him and headed to her bed. She smiled up at him through the gauze and bandaging.

"How you doing hero?"

"Good, I'm sorry I hadn't come to see you before this."

"You were busy, and I wasn't awake."

She started to cough and Jak handed her the water by her bed. She sipped slowly and, when she finished, he helped her lay back down.

"I'll visit you more often."

She sighed, looking away from him, "I'm sorry, you're busy."

"Never too busy for you."

"It's okay. I'm tired now. Would you mind telling daddy too?"

"No, that's okay. I need his help anyway. Rest well."

They didn't say another word as he left. Samos was waiting outside, but didn't comment when Jak closed the door behind him. As the young hero started to walk, The green sage followed silently, until the had exited the building.

"So you need my assistance boy?"

Jak nodded and accepted the keys a hospital staff member offered him. Samos got in next to him and sat without a word as they headed to Vin.

"We need you to translate something."

"She was asking about you."

"Vin thinks it has something to do with the precursors."

"She asked about that annoying friend of yours."

Jak tensed, he was sure someone had told Samos by now.

"Dax and Torn are in the city right now." At least he didn't completely avoid the topic.

"I told her about Tess."

He didn't answer. He knew it wasn't the source of her anger, but that explained some of what she felt. He knew he shouldn't feel so empty, but the past few months had been draining, asking too much of one man, not that he would ever say as much out loud. Again, he thought of Daxter, who, perhaps more than him, had suffered from their fate with a dizzying smile and even the will to admit when it was too much.

-

**Sorry it took so long to update. I'm not even going to bother promising anything. **


	9. Chapter 9

**I won't even bother explaining why it took so long to update. It'll just sound whiny and be useless. With no gilding the lily, enjoy. Oh, and I don't own Jak and Daxter or any of its subsequent games. Well, okay I do, but not the rights to them.**

…..

"That's a lot to take in." Jak stretched out on a couch next to Samos and Ashelin.

He had just returned from the power plant where Vin had given old green stuff copies of what needed translated. He stared at the seal she was still holding.

"If I'm right, Jak, this city was also created by you. When is the question, and why?"

"We may have a few clues when Torn and Daxter return." Ashelin passed the seal to him.

The crystals glowed lightly, but did little else. Smirking, Jak tucked it into his pocket. He stood to go and, with a pause, told her to let him know when they were back.

"You'll probably know before me."

…..

Dax was uneasy as they entered Spargus city. Gruff fighters eyed him and Torn as they walked to the palace. Inside, they were slowly escorted to the throne room. Sig looked up from his paperwork with immense surprise. The muse jumped from Torn's shoulder onto his desk.

"Like the new look Cherry. Green suits you." He stared at the muse with a wide grin.

"Hey!"

Sig looked up to see an indignant teen standing behind Torn. His hand flew to his gun, but he quickly released it, trying to relax. There was no way that was who he thought it was.

"Who the hell are you?"

Was he someone from the city Torn was visiting?

"I feel insulted considering you just mistook that," he pointed to the muse, "for me."

It took a few second before Sig realized he knew the voice.

"Daxter?"

"The one and only."

"How…? Why…?" He paused, looking at Torn who simply shrugged. Hadn't Jak mentioned something about him being human at one time?

Coughing lightly, he composed himself. "Well then Cherry, what are you all doing back in Spargus?"

"Returning the screamer," Torn answered, "We were stopped thanks to the rat."

The muse diverted their attention, rubbing itself against Sig's hand as it mussed his papers. He looked down at it curiously, scratching behind its ears. He didn't, however, miss the glare Dax was giving it.

"What is this chilly pepper?"

"A muse. I guess they just don't like me." Dax folded his arms across his chest, sticking his tongue out at it.

"A muse? Haven't heard that term in a long time."

"We should be going. Ashelin wants us back as soon as possible."

"Alright Torn. Don't be a stranger. Daxter. I expect an explanation from you some other time."

"Yeah yeah tough guy." Dax waved as he left.

Tuning to go, Torn suppressed a growl as the muse leapt for his shoulder. How did Jak stand carting around an annoying creature on his shoulder all the time? The muscle was starting to knot from the constant kneading and walking of his furry companion.

Walking back towards the transport that would take them to Haven City, Torn watched the hyper teen as he ranted about something. Sig's reaction interested the brown haired guardsman. What was it about the orange haired boy that brought him to his firearm even with Torn there? Sure, no one expected to see the former ottsel as a human, but that was no reason for weapons.

"Right?" Torn was mildly surprised to find Dax had asked his opinion on something.

"I wonder how many more people are going to point guns at you." Torn dodged answering with his jeering remark.

"Hopefully none. Answer the question."

"I've been waiting to do that for a while. Shame I've only done it once."

"Hey! Tattoos! Do you or don't you think everyone will be surprised to see me?"

So that was the question. "What did I just say?"

"Ass."

"Hn."

As they arrived at the transport, Dax turned to glare at him. He resisted the immediate urge to grab his gun, though he couldn't define what had brought that on. As the sat in the transport, Dax fidgeted, much to his gruff companion's annoyance.

…..

Jak growled in frustration, staring at the strange seal. Try as he may, he couldn't get it to work again. It had been an accident that it went off, and he couldn't remember what he had done.

Oh, sure, he remembered that he had changed because of the dark eco and was attacking the metalheads. He even remembered when he changed because of the light eco. What he couldn't remember was what he had done right before the seal burst to life with beautiful color. Or why it formed the smallest bit of white eco.

More so, he wasn't sure what he did when he touched it that caused it to wash over him like it had the first time. He certainly couldn't explain what happened when he sent blasts of it off at the invading metalheads. If that was the case, then he definitely couldn't answer why it wasn't working again. He'd tried everything he could think of, but it did nothing.

Disgruntled, he figured he would have to cave-in and ask Samos for help. All he needed was another lecture. Besides, they'd take it away to study and who knows when he'd get it back.

The green haired hero was snapped from his mental tirade as he heard the approaching transport. He grinned as he recognized it as the one from Spargus. Maybe Dax would be able to figure it out. A pain settled in his chest a moment as he wondered if his fiery friend would even talk to him. Too late for that, the transport landed and the doors opened.

Torn stepped out frowning with a creature that was definitely not an ottsel on his shoulder. Beside him, a fiery haired man stood tight lipped. Jak didn't hesitate to bring his gun up, eyes darkening dramatically. Torn put his arm in front of the boy in concern. Others might ask first. But Jak seemed the kind to fire when he aimed at something.

"Gees, has Haven hospitality already been engrained in you buddy?"

Jak's eyes widened as he looked the boy over completely. He lowered his weapon slowly, confused by what he saw.

"Dax?"

"Forgotten my voice already?"

"Dax!" The gun was holstered in a second. "You're…!"

"Sexy? Awesome? Tall?"

"Back!" Jak pulled him into a tight hug grinning like a mad man. "How?"

"Turns out getting blown up by white eco does wonders for your skin. You're killing me here Jak."

He released him with a small smile. Torn found himself smirking. All prior arguments were forgotten in the face of this shock. Silently, Jak handed the seal to Dax.

"So it only worked once, hu? And you've been trying to get it to work."

Torn started to the palace and they trailed along behind him. It confused him that Daxter seemed to be carrying on a conversation with Jak, asking questions and seeking explanations while the other didn't answer a single thing.

"White eco? Seriously? Maybe it holds a charge. Yeah I think so too. It could need a bit of the other ecos in order to activate it…My thinking exactly."

Torn turned in confusion to see Jak break open a blaster bullet and pour the eco onto the device. It readily absorbed it. They repeated the process with the two other ecos and grinned. They only thing missing was green eco. A high five and a victory dance not suited to Dax's appearance later and they continued on their way.

"You're unusually quiet." Torn glanced over at the shorted, green haired teen.

"Habit I guess. Why do you have a muse on your shoulder? I thought those were extinct."

"We found it in the city Jak." Dax leaned on his friend.

"Speaking of the city…"

"You'll hear it when we tell Ashelin." Torn eyed them as they entered the palace.

Exchanging a knowing glance, they continued to the elevator. Silence washed over them the rest of the way to the meeting room. Inside, Ashelin could be heard speaking with someone. A loud and obnoxious squawk told them Pecker was present. Dax grinned, ready for his audience.

…..

**Sorry it took so long. Hope you enjoy.**


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